Bond.



PATENTED lTULY 17, 1906. F. B. BADT @L G. M. WLLIS.

BON D.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB.10.1902.

No. 826,136. PATENTED JULY 17, 1906. v1. B. BADT & G. M. WILLIS.

BOND.

APPLICATION FILED 11.13.10.1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

` Cook certain new and useful FRANCIS R. BADT AND GEORGE M. WILLIS,-

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOND.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906.

e Application filed March l0, 1902. Serial No. 97.499.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANCIS B. BADT and W'ILLIs, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of and State of Illinois, have inventeda Im rovement in Bonds, (Case N o. 2,) of which t e following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference vbeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

In electric railway ractice contiguous rails are frequently bon ed together, especially when the rails form a return-circuit, and it is necessary to make good electrical connections between adjacent rails. Although our invention isnot thus limited, still it is particularly useful in, applying the terminals of railconnecting bonds to the ends of the rails which are to vbe electrically united.

The objects of our invention are rincipally to secure an efficient and durablle connection, both electrically and mechanically, between bond terminals and the rails to which they are a plied.

A hole -is' usually formed in the web of the' rail near either end. The bond consists of a eavy Wire or cable-conductor terminating at either end in a soft copper lug or terminal and each adapted for insertion into the hole in one of the two rails which are to be connected.

Our invention provides a novel method of fastening the terminal within the hole in the rail. The terminal is of such size that it may be inserted easily within the hole in the rail. recess is formed in each end ofthe terminal, these recesses extending inwardly, so that a comparatively thin web is formed between the bottoms of the two recesses. This web of soft copper is of less thickness than the part of the ra1l into which the terminal is inserted.I By the apfplication of equa` and opposite compressin orces upon the surfaces at the bottoms o the recesses on either side of the terminal web a lateral iiow of the metal of the terminalv web is producedf This metal first flows from the axis of the terminal in enerally radial directions until the hole in t e rail is completelyfilled by metal under great compressive stress and then outwardly in directions more or less nearly parallel with the axis of the terminal. The compressing forces are applied by a suitable compressing-tool, w 'ch may be provided with hardened plugs to extend to the bottoms of the recesses of the terminal, or, as we prefer, the terminals may be permanently provided with hardened illustrates a com plu s fitting within the recesses. In this re erred arrangement the compressing orces are transmitted by the hardened plugs directly to the thin web of copper between them. As distinguished from methods of the lprior art, the compressing forces are direct y applied to the soft flowing material of the terminal in an axial direction upon limited surfaces lying between the planes of the surfaces of the object through which the terminal has been inserted.

The result of our method is that we not only have suflicient metal of the terminal web toV form a good electrical conductor, but the web itself acts as a compression member to maintain an exceedingly tight fit between the terminal and its hole after the compressing-tool has been removed.

We will explain our invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure 1 illustrates generally two rails bonded by means of our invention. Fig. 2 i's a sectional View on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 illustrates a compressor for completing the bond. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the compressor having been employed, however, to com lete the electrical connection between tllfe bond and the adjacent rails. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of a modified form of rail-bond that may be employed. Fig. 6 ressor adapted to unite this form of rail-bon with the rails. Fig. 7 illustrates in detail the plugging devices with which the device of Fig. 6 may be equipped. Fig. 8 illustrates the bond of Fig. \5 a ter it has been subjected to the action of the compressor to complete its connection with the rails; and Fig. 9 is an end view of 4one of the terminals of the bond shown in Fig. 8.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different iigures.

The structural parts that are to be electrically united are in the drawings shown to be the rails a a, that may be used in an electric-railway system. Suitableportions of the structural parts a a-.as, for example, the webs b b-may be provided with holes c c, that are preferably caused to extend entirely through the same. These holes may be of any suitable shape. We have illustrated holes each of which is of uniform diameter; but we do not wish to be limited to holes of this character.

The bond may have a link or yoke d, pref- IOO IOS

".'Figs 2 and 4. .In Figs.

erably in the form of a bond wire or cable', such as illustrated most clearlyV in Fig. 1, which unites the terminals or terminal lugs e e, the holes c c in the adjacent rails being spaced apart a distance equal to the distance separating the said lugs and preferably being slightly larger than the terminals, so that the terminals may be readily inserted therein. The terminals e e are preferably provided each with two recesses ff in alinement, between which intervenes a web g, preferably of the same material as the balance of the lug. The thickness of the web of the terminal is made less than the thickness of the web of the rail within which'the terminal is to be fastened. The'recesses ff preferably permanently contain plugs h h, about which the copper of the terminal lug is cast. These plugs h h may be formed of phosphor-bronze or other hard material having, preferably, a high coefficient of electrical conductivity. The perferred construction is illustrated in 6 to 8, inclusive, vwe lugs i t', that are adapted for reception witiiin the central recesses ff only when the joint is being completed. A third way of completing the joints might consist in employing p ugs similar to plugs h h of Figs. 1 and 4, but having them not integrally formed with the lugs, in which case the plugs h h wouldthen merely serve the function of a tool, which having effected the lateral distension of the lugs may thereafter be removed. We prefer, however, the construction wherein plugs h h are integrally formed with the terminal lugs of the bonds, for reasons which have been stated.

As will be apparent have illustrated from an inspection of the drawings,the surfaces of the web of the The recess at the opposite terminal having less distance between them than the surfaces of the web of the rail lie both within the planes of the surfaces of the web of the rail. Itis to these surfaces of the web of the terminal that the compressing forces are directly applied, and the surface to which the compressing forces are applied :is obviously of less diameter and area than the terminal.

In Figs. 2 and 5 we have shown rail-bonds which span the gap between adjacent rails,

the bases of the terminal lugs being united' by the link or yoke d, While the free ends of the terminal lugs are unheaded. In these views the thickness of the Webs-g will be observed. In Figs. 4 and 8 the thickness of these webs has been reduced, the metal of the Web having been spread laterally to increase the diameter of the lugs e e where they pass through the holes c c. The recess at the base of the terminal lug is slightly flared -for the purpose of enabling the plugging-tool that enters the same to be readily Withdrawn.

end of the terminal, lug is preferably more widely flared, so that the metal at the extreme end may be spread terminal outwardly yon either laterally to form a head k, the metal portion al being thus confined between the head k and the base of the terminal lug.

One of the principal distinctions vbetween the method of applying rail-bonds as heretofore practiced and that of our presentinvention may be described as follows: 1t has been the practice in methods heretofore employed to insert a terminal within an opening in the web of a rail. VThis terminal has passed :entirely through lthe web of .the rail extending some distance to either side=of 'the sunfaoesfof the rail-web. rassure was lexerted on `the opposite ends of) the projecting terminal, thereby causing a compression .and upsetting of the terminal until it .lled the opening in or the rail, the projecting ends "bei-ng iheade riveted "over to :prevent the terminal .from falling from the rail. In ;practicin rthis method there has been 4caused some1 ow .of metal transversely with :respectrto fthe axis of the-terminal, but the entire quantit. .otfithe material of the terminal Within @the p anes 'of the surfaces of :the rail-web Vhas been .placed under a compressive strain caused :by :forces exerted and transmitted from points Voutside of the surfaces of .the rail-web and :transmitted only by the soft .material .of the vterminal itself. .Up on :the 4'removal of fthafomces which have c aused this compression itheitenminal expands, -due -to 'the resilience of .thercoppeno which it is preferably formed, this expulsion bein in the direction irl-which thecompressive forces have been applied. There '.has beena consequent decrease 'in the diameten j, the terminal iupon the remeval of'xthe femm pressing forces.

This Ehas caused .a considerable `loosen'in of the 'tenminal withinithe hele in the rail. A y our method the forces'w are applied to the Webof :the .terminal are :arpplied at points lying I.within the planesef the surfaces of :the rail-Web. These forces cause a flow of the metal of .the terminal laterally in generally radial directions from the Janis of the terminaluntil the .opening 'within Ithe mail is filled. Thereafter .the flow ofthe metal, due to the continued force applied fby the plugs h h, c auses a flowof the fmetal of :the side between the plug and the -hole in the rail 'toward 'the surfaceof the .rail-web. Thus ithe metal of the terminal between the web of-thetermina'l and the surface .of .therailewebis put under l a compressive strain, lthe lforce causin,- this compressive strain beingapplied from t erin side of lthe terminal-that is, from the :mates rial forming .the webgof the terminal rather than from the outside `if the terminal, rasiim methodsof the priorart. This outward flow ofthe metal -lyin between the plug yand the hole in the -railewe isopposed and-resistedby the friction between `the lplug .and the flowing metal. Upon the removal of the pressure applied to the plugs hh l.theresilienceo'f this metal between the' web of the terminal and IOO IIC

5 the termina plugs the resilience of the metal of the compressing device to be essential, as j such devices are well known to those skilled in the art. Obviously other means may also the surfaces of the rail causes a tendency of the metal to crowd back from the surfaces of the rail-web toward the web of the terminal. Thus after the removal of the pressure upon the terminal lugs. While we have shown terminal lu s eachhaving two recesses, we do not wish to e limited in the use ofour invention to such a structural characteristic.

Having thus described our invention, we 4o claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent` The herein-described method of fastening a terminal within a holewhich'fconsists in subjecting the plastic material of the terminal to 45 pressures initially applied below the planes of lthe surfaces at the ends of said hole, lthereby producing a l'low of said plastic material first in a longitudinal direction, then outwardly from the axis of the terminal and substantially 5o at right angles to said axis and finally in a directon parallel with the axis of said terminal but from the interior toward theouter ends of said terminal.

In witness whereof we hereunto subscribe 55 our names this 7th day of March, A. D. 1902.l

of the terminal causes a continuing compressive stress to be exerted upon the terminal web, this stress serving to maintain the web of the terminal of large diameter, whereby a 1oY much greater force is continuously exerted' between the terminal and the hole in the railweb than has been secured by methods heretoorefemployed. When 'the plugs are mechanically integrally formed with the bond- 1 5 terminals, the friction between the sides of the plugfandthe metal terminal also serves to maintain a pressure upon the terminal web in the direction -in which the upsetting forces were applied, thus further serving to mainzo tain the web in compression after the removal of the compressin l-tool.

It will be seen t at our invention contemplates the application of the compressin orces directly to the material of the termina 25` at points which lie between the'planes ofthe surfaces of, the rail-web; Even after the re- FRANCIS B.. BADT.

moval of the compressmg-tool the compressing stresses upon the terminal web are main- GEORGE M WILLIS' tained in'the same direction as that in which Witnesses: 3o they were applied to upset the terminal. f GEORGEy L. CRAGG,

We have not deemed a detailed description MAX W. ZABEL.

be employed to effect the compression within 3 5 

